Filing A Hit And Run Claim
If you are able to identify the person who hit you, you can get the car insurance information from your insurance company or the policy and file a claim with their car insurance company.
If the driver did not carry adequate protection, you can try to get your money through an attorney and the court system.
If you are unable to identify the person who hit you, or that person does not have enough insurance to cover your costs, you can file a claim with your own car insurance company using one or more of the coverages mentioned above.
In a few states, car insurance companies waive your deductible for hit and run claims.
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What To Expect As A Victim Of A Hit And Run
Hit and run accidents not only cause injuries and damages, but theyre even more complicated than regular collisions because the driver at fault flees the scene. This means that you might not have firm evidence of who was at fault, and you could have trouble recovering the compensation that you deserve from the responsible party.
As a victim of a hit and run, its important to know what to expect. Whether you were in the car and suffered injuries from the collision, or the crash only damaged your property, youll want to find who was responsible for your wreck so that you can hold them accountable. There are many different scenarios of hit and runs, but the police have experience with these types of crashes. This means that they will work hard to find out what happened.
However, theres not telling how long it takes them to find the person. It could take hours if theres enough evidence, or it could take days, weeks, or even months depending on what information they have about the person who fled the scene.
When you report the accident to the police, you can expect them to keep in touch with you. Theyll likely keep you in the loop and contact you with updates to ensure that you have all the information you need about their investigation. Theres no firm timeline for how long the police will contact you after a hit and run, but they will contact you until your case is closed.
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How Long Do I Have To File A Lawsuit After A Car Accident In Paducah
Kentucky limits the time you have to pursue a car accident lawsuit to two years under a law known as the statute of limitations. In these cases, the time begins on the date of the collision. This law helps ensure that evidence remains available and the legal process moves forward. However, if you are filing a claim against a city, county, or state government agency, you must notify the agency of your claim within 60 days of your accident. There are limited exceptions to these laws that can extend or delay the deadline, but once it has passed, you will not be able to recover compensation.
Factors That Affect The Length Of A Hit
Its difficult to estimate how long it will take to settle a hit-and-run investigation because its dependent upon how readily available the evidence is. If, for example, you were able to record the drivers entire license plate before they drove away, the investigation and settlement process may only take a matter of weeks. Witness testimony can also shorten the length of time it takes to find the guilty party.
Unfortunately, there are many more factors that could lengthen the hit-and-run investigation. If you were unable to gather any information about the other driver or their vehicle, for example, or if the accident happened in a rural area without any video cameras, the investigation is likely to take much longer. If your injuries are severe and you are unable to participate in the investigation or help start one with an attorney, it could take months to determine what actually happened.
As time passes, the likelihood of determining who hit your car decreases. Getting in touch with a lawyer who is experienced in hit-and-run cases is often your best chance at finding the person who wronged you and holding them accountable for what happened.
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How To Choose To Best Lawyer Near You
Track Record Youll want to find a car accident lawyer that has a successful record representing people just like you. One who has experience navigating the complex legal system surrounding car accidents and other personal injury claims.
Cost All of the injury lawyers on this page will take and you wont have to pay a thing unless they win. You wont have to deal with hourly rates or expensive upfront fees with these attorneys unless you get compensation for damages.
Location You probably searched for car accident lawyer near me, right or something similar? Thats because location matters. Hiring a local Paducah lawyer makes it convenient to meet with and keep updated on the progress of your case.
Tips To Avoid Mistakes After A Hit & Run Accident
Sorry, but we do not represent victims of hit & run accidents
We understand how you feel . . . so lets face it, you made a mistake in not stopping and exchanging information and youre trying to figure out what to do next. Youre stress level is through the roof and youre confused. You dont want to do the wrong thing. These are all common feelings and emotions our clients have.
Our law firm is dedicated to helping our clients make every effort to cooperate and work with the police to avoid hit and run charges being filed against you.
We offer potential clients a free phone consultation to learn your options to successfully resolving your legal problem.
Let our 30 years of experience work for you!
Tip #1 – It is never a good idea to turn yourself into the police station without knowing all of the details about the accident. This includes understanding whether you or your vehicle have been identified by the other party, a witness, or the police.
Cooperation, at an early stage, frequently eliminates our clients from being arrested. We can help by negotiating with the police to keep this from happening and save you from this very unpleasant experience.
Tip #2 – Dont call the police when you have left the scene of an accident without exchanging information or without consulting an attorney first. Typically once we have contacted the police this eliminates the police from coming to your home or place of employment.
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What To Do In A Hit And Run Accident
In order to know what to do in a hit and run accident you should first know what police do in a hit and run. Generally speaking, police will attempt to locate you collecting witness statements, reviewing nearby security footage and by patrolling the area around the accident for a broken down car or evidence of an accident. More often than not, police will respond to the address associated with the registration of the vehicle involved in the accident. If, however, a suspect gives the other driver partial information before leaving the scene or a witness happens to know the identity of the suspect, police will often use motor vehicle records to locate a last known address.
The bottom line is that police will be looking for you and will be requesting that you speak to them about the incident. As such, you MUST contact a knowledgeable hit and run lawyer prior to speaking to police. Most criminal defense attorneys, including the lawyers at Feldman & Royle, provide a free consultation to help you understand your rights. For helpful tips on hiring a lawyer, click here.
Hit & Run Lawyers In South Florida
Ahit and run, also known as leaving the scene of an accident is normally asecond-degree misdemeanor in the State of Florida, unless serious bodily injury or death results. Many hit and runs occur because the driver panics. Maybe the damage was minor or maybe the car was unattended. Either way, Florida law requires you to remain at the scene of an accident, or if the other vehicle is unattended, leave a note with your name, phone number, and insurance information.
If eyewitnesses cannot provide a license plate number, police will look to other means of identification, such as red-light cameras or other forms of video surveillance. Since the plate number is usually how police officers locate the suspects vehicle, it is possible to be an LSA suspect even if you weren’t the driver. Perhaps you lent out your car and someone else was driving it at the time.
This is why it is important to retain a Miami-Dade County hit and run attorney immediately upon learning that your car was involved in a hit and run. Call us today at 504-6655.
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When And How To Make A Police Report
There are many situations in which it is important to know how to make a police report. You should always file one for any incident or disturbance that affects you or your property such as a robbery, vandalism or attack.
When it comes to vehicle property, it is your right and responsibility to inform the police if anything happens to it, especially on public property.
If someone steals any car valuables such as your license plate, registration card or tires, you are advised to file a police report as soon as possible. If you fail to do so, you may be enabling further crime.
Your can become the victim of theft if your car is stolen or broken into and burglarized. You should call your local police department immediately in regards to a stolen vehicle or any personal documents like car registration.
While there is no immediate deadline for these types incidents as there is for car accidents, to get your property back and prevent further crime, you should get a police report as soon as possible.
What You Should Look For In A Hit
After an accident, you are probably more concerned with how injured you and your loved ones are. However, if you can, try to take note of the vehicle that hit you. The easiest thing to notice is the color. Since most cars look the same, you might have difficulty discerning the make and model, but give it a good guess if you cannot see the badging on the vehicle. Additionally, if you take note of the license plate, it is much easier for the police to find the driver. Finally, if you can get a good look at the driver, remember features such as hair color, whether the driver is male or female, facial hair, glasses or not, and clothing type and color. While a full description is better, remembering just one thing about the person driving can help the police find the hit-and-run driver.
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How Police Investigate Hit
During a hit-and-run investigation, the responding officer will survey the scene. They will also gather witness and victim statements and collect any evidence from the accident.
Evidence collected in hit-and-run investigations includes:
- Pictures of the scene
- Paint left on the damaged vehicle
After collecting evidence, the officer submits their report to the DMV and the station.
How Much Is My Car Accident Claim Worth
Unfortunately, there is no way to determine your exact claims worth since each case is unique. However, an attorney can give you an accurate estimate of its value after considering the following factors:
- The severity of your injuries.
- The expected length of recovery.
- Whether you suffered permanent impairments, will need ongoing medical care, adaptive equipment, etc.
- The impact of your pain and suffering on all aspects of your life.
- How much income you have lost from being unable to work.
- How much money you are expected to lose in the future due to your injury.
- Strength of evidence against the at-fault party.
- Any aggravating factors.
- The at-fault partys policy limits.
The at-fault partys policy limits can be a surprising factor. If your losses exceed their policys maximum limits, the insurance company does not have to pay the difference.
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Pedestrians Are Also At Risk For Hit
Not all hit-and-run accidents involve cars they also can involve people. Motor vehicles commonly strike pedestrians, so it can be risky for people who walk near the streets and roadways. If a motor vehicle did not stop after hitting you, call for prompt medical help, as well as law enforcement assistance
If you can, remember what the vehicle looked like or its license plate number. A police officer can run the vehicles plate number through the system to see if they can get a match on the car in the accident. Witnesses also may be able to help you with the details to give to the police officer for an official report.
You can also meet with an attorney from our team to see what your legal options are. If you have PIP or uninsured motorist coverage, your policies may be able to help you recover your medical bills and other losses in your pedestrian accident.
Hit And Run Investigation Process
Hit-and-run crashes can be some of the most frustrating and stressful incidents in a persons life, especially if they are hurt or they have to fight their insurance company to pay for the resulting vehicle damage.
Nationally, hit-and-run accidents have been on the rise in major cities where traffic density has increased. Texas is no different.
Texas had such a problem with hit-and-run accidents that in 2013, legislators closed a loophole that police said encouraged drunk drivers in crashes to flee the scene. Before they passed the new law, the maximum penalty for failing to render aid was only half of the penalty for causing a drunken-driving fatality. The new law now makes the maximum penalty for failing to render aid a second-degree felony and up to 20 years in prison, the same for intoxicated manslaughter.
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Is Visiting The Accident Scene Enough
In some cases, possibly. Sometimes the police can piece together the evidence they gather at the accident scene to identify the hit and run driver.
For example, maybe a witness got a clear view or picture of the drivers license plate number. The police could then run a search of the number or contact the Department of Motor Vehicles in order to gather the drivers personal or identifying information.
The police can then use this information to find, question and charge the suspect.
How Long A Case May Take
If you have been involved in a hit-and-run case then you will likely want to know the amount of time it takes to settle a case. Unfortunately, there is no set time that a hit-and-run case of any severity takes to be resolved.
It depends on the evidence from the accident, whether there is any injury, damage, or other defining factors, as well as those involved.
In many minor hit-and-run cases, due to the smaller level of impact, cases resolving these incidents tend to be shorter. However, there can be some factors that will draw it out longer.
Similarly, it depends on the state as well, different states have different laws and in some cases different proceeds when it comes to handling a minor hit and run. You should check your states laws on this matter, to get more defined information.
There is another factor that plays into the time taken to deal with a minor hit-and-run, it can depend very heavily on the business of the police.
If they are exceptionally busy, or if they have some more severe cases open, it may take longer to resolve. It may also take more time for them to find the driver who fled the scene of the incident.
What happens in your case depends entirely on your state.
Whereas in the same situation in Florida you would get a 2nd-degree misdemeanor and a small fine. Always check the laws of your state, some states are not very stringent on minor hit and run laws, whereas other states take it much more seriously.
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What Are The Penalties For A Hit
Committing a hit-and-run is definitely an illegal act, and the punishment can be severe depending on what you hit, how much damage there was, or if a death occurred. While every state has its own laws regarding hit-and-runs, most of them do have some things in common.
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Fines and/or imprisonment
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Loss or suspension of your driver’s license
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Points on your record
Another possible outcome of a in a hit-and-run is having to purchase SR-22 insurance. This special insurance is potentially required for those who have a marked driving record. SR-22 premiums can be up to 300% more than your normal insurance for many years.
Will Insurance Cover A Hit
Normally, if another driver causes an accident, their property damage liability which Florida law requires for all drivers will help cover the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle. But if the other driver isnt found, there are some other coverage options.
Specifically, these three types of auto insurance coverage can help after a hit-and-run in Florida.
Because drivers in the Sunshine State already pay more than the national average cost of car insurance, purchasing additional insurance to cover a hit-and-run may not be the most appealing option. Still, its worth checking out different cheap car insurance companies in Florida to make sure youre financially protected.
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